Surface nano- and microstructuring with organometallic polymers

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the use of poly(ferrocenylsilane)s in the surface patterning of silicon substrates. Due to the presence of iron and silicon in their main chain, poly(ferrocenylsilane)s show a very high resistance to reactive ion etching, allowing one to transfer polymer patterns directly onto the substrate. Methods for introducing etch-resistant polymer patterns on substrate surfaces include soft lithography approaches such as microcontact printing, directed dewetting, and capillary force lithography. Next to top-down methods, self-assembly strategies are discussed. Phase separation in thin films of asymmetric organic-organometallic block copolymers leads to the formation of nanoperiodic organometallic patterns. The use of such thin films as nanolithographic templates is demonstrated. Surface patterning can also be realized using electrostatic self-assembly of organometallic polyions. Layer-by-layer deposition of poly(ferrocenylsilane) polyanions and polycations on chemically patterned substrates allows one to guide the growth of multilayer thin films and to produce patterned organometallic coatings. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.